Hamáček confirmed as lower house chairman

The Social Democratic MP Jan Hamáček was elected to the post of chairman of the lower house of parliament on Wednesday. Mr. Hamáček ran for the position unopposed, receiving 195 of the 198 votes. The likely future coalition government partners – Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats – had agreed on supporting his candidacy beforehand. Deputy clubs of the TOP 09 and the Civic Democratic parties openly voiced their support for Mr. Hamáček. MPs also elected three deputy chairpersons in the first round of voting on Wednesday – Jaroslava Jermanová of ANO, the chairman of the Christian Democratic Party Pavel Bělobrádek and the chairman of the Communist Party, Vojtěch Filip. Neither the chairman of the Dawn of Direct Democracy party, Tomio Okamura, and Miroslav Kalousek of TOP 09, received enough votes in the second round. The selection of the fourth deputy chairperson has thus been postponed until next Wednesday.

Author: Masha Volynsky